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The Vote Smart Research team has been hard at work this past month. Check out some key highlights below! |
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SHOW UP Act of 2023
The U.S. House of Representatives passed the SHOW UP Act of 2023 on February 1 in a 221–206 vote. The bill requires each executive agency reinstate the telework policies that were in place on December 31, 2019. Click here to read our summary of the legislation.
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To terminate the requirement imposed by the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for proof of COVID-19 vaccination for foreign travelers, and for other purposes.
On February 9, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill to repeals the order issued by the CDC restricting the entry of non-citizens who are not immigrants into the United States by air travel unless they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or otherwise attest that they will take public health measures to prevent the spread of the disease. Click here to read our summary of the legislation.
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Condemning the Chinese Communist Party's use of a high-altitude surveillance balloon over United States territory as a brazen violation of United States sovereignty
On February 9, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution to condemn China's violation of U.S. sovereignty and denounce the Chinese Communist Party's efforts to deceive through false claims about its intelligence collection campaigns in violation of U.S. sovereignty. Click here to read our summary of the legislation.
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Special Elections
Several states held state legislative special elections in February. Click each state to see the results: Pennsylvania, Louisiana, Kentucky, New Hampshire, and Wisconsin. Wisconsin also held a primary election for a state judicial seat, which you can find the results for here.
On February 21, voters in Virginia’s fourth congressional district elected State Senator Jennifer McClellan to represent them in the House of Representatives in a special election to fill the seat vacated by former Representative Donald McEachin, who passed away in November of last year. Click here to view McClellan’s biography and here to see the results of the election.
Connecticut held special elections for three districts of the state House yesterday. See the results by clicking here.
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Chinese Surveillance Balloon |
Earlier this month, a Chinese-operated balloon was seen in the airspace over the United States and Canada before being shot down over the Atlantic Ocean near South Carolina. In the aftermath, Secretary of State Antony Blinken canceled an upcoming trip to China, the first such visit since 2018. Additionally, it led to the House of Representatives passing a resolution to condemn the use of the surveillance balloon over American airspace. Click here to read the text of the resolution and the vote breakdown. View statements from members on Congress on China here. |
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On February 18, former President Jimmy Carter entered hospice care and is forgoing any further treatment, choosing instead to spend his remaining time with his family. The former president, who is 98 years old and a founding board member of Project Vote Smart, is the longest living president and former president in American history. Read a statement from President Biden here and a statement from Representative Nikema Williams of Georgia here. |
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Vote Smart is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that provides accurate information about candidates, elected officials, and key pieces of legislation. By providing information in an easy and accessible manner, Vote Smart believes that citizens can better defend themselves from the questionable rhetoric and misrepresentation that characterizes present-day political campaigns. |
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